Livestock Tavern (Hawaii)

In an unassuming part of China town in Honolulu, there is this awesome place that is very meat-centric, and it is glorious! We went for lunch and tried almost all the sandwiches. We had the grilled octopus with capers, artichoke, olives and a red pepper sauce. It was excellent. The sauce was rich but the octopus was light with a nice texture. Not chewy or rubbery, but soft and smooth. And the sauce, rich and full of flavor. Nicely spiced and a perfect compliment to the octopus. We also had the tuna spread. It was topped with smoked trout roe and mixed with a horseradish cream. Spread on the lightly toasted and charred bread, lovely. Cool, refreshing tuna, slightly sweet but juicy roe with a creamy base…awesome. The horseradish is really understated so if you are expecting a big kick, you won’t get it but it adds a nice background flavor which I think is for the best since it doesn’t overpower the taste of the seafood.

My dad and cousin-in-law ordered the Lobster roll.

Nice and chewy challah-like roll, sweet lobster and creamy mayo. A solid lobster roll! It terms of the amount of lobster meat, maybe half to 3/4 of a tail? It’s no Neptune’s in Boston but still solid in terms of flavor. My mom ordered the Lamb BLT with avocado, lettuce, tomato, and lamb bacon.

The picture doesn’t really do it justice since you can’t really see the ingredients. The lamb was excellent. Nicely seasoned, but I wish there was more of it. My aunt and cousin had the Fried chicken sandwich.

I didn’t taste it myself but it looked juicy, crisp on the outside and is nicely paired with pickles and slaw. Plus the bread, if it’s the same one I had with my burger, it’s awesome! My uncle had the Beef tongue sandwich.

My cousin had warned us that it can be a little “hit or miss”. The beef had a lot of flavor but wasn’t as tender as I would hope. I would imagine on other occasions it would hold the same flavor but with softer meat. The bread is perfect for the au jus. This is like an upgraded beef dip with the provolone adding a nice sharpness to the whole bite.

Now, the show-stopper, The Burger! This is one of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten in my life. And trust me when I say I’ve eaten a lot of burgers. Bacon onion marmalade, gruyere cheese, fresh tomato on a brioche. It was beefy with the huge, perfectly cooked, wonderfully juicy, perfectly charred. The onions added a savory, sweetness that I was lost for words describing. The gruyere added a salty, nuttiness and a smooth creamy texture. And the bun, perfect. There were a lot of lovely flavors but not too many to overpower or confuse you. It was balanced, rich, and one of the most tasty creations I’ve ever eaten.